The invention relates to a method for controlling a coolant pump of an internal combustion engine, with the amount of heat to be discharged being determined from at least one engine operation parameter and a control signal for the scheduled rotational speed of the coolant pump being generated by means of pulse-width modulation depending on the amount of heat to be discharged. The invention further relates to an electrically driven coolant pump for an internal combustion engine, with an electromotor-pump unit and an electronic control unit for determining a pulse-width modulated control signal for the pump depending on at least one engine operation parameter.